Penstemon plant named ‘Dopensprisprim’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant named ‘Dopensprisprim’, characterized by its upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; relatively large light pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Penstemon barbatus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPENSPRISPRIM’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instantplant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier,The Netherlands on Feb. 18, 2022, application number 2022/0501. Foreignpriority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications noradvertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distributionoccurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of thisapplication. Any information about the claimed plant would have beenobtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/orApplicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior artexception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior tothe filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filingdate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPenstemon plant, botanically known as Penstemon barbatus and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Dopensprisprim’.

The new Penstemon plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program was to create new freely-branching Penstemon plantswith attractive flower color.

The new Penstemon plant originated from an open-pollination in July,2017 in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, of a proprietary selection ofPenstemon barbatus identified as code number PE15-000019-005, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection ofPenstemon barbatus as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Penstemonplant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single floweringplant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in acontrolled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in May, 2018.

Asexual reproduction of the new Penstemon plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands sinceJune, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Penstemonplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Penstemon have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dopensprisprim’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Dopensprisprim’ as a new and distinctPenstemon plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Relatively large light pink-colored flowers.    -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Penstemon differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in plant size as plants of the new Penstemon are morecompact and shorter than plants of the female parent selection. Inaddition, flowers of plants of the new Penstemon are lighter pink thanflowers of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Penstemon can be compared to plants of Penstemonschmidel ‘Purple Riding Hood’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,067.In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Penstemon and ‘PurpleRiding Hood’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Penstemon are more freely branching than        plants of ‘Purple Riding Hood’.    -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Penstemon are light pink in        color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Purple Riding Hood’ are dark        red purple and dark blue in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Penstemon plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Penstemon plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of typical flowering plant of‘Dopensprisprim’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the summer in 17-cm containersinitially in a glass-covered greenhouse and finished in an outdoornursery in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practicestypical of commercial Penstemon production. During the production of theplants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged15° C. Plants were 22 weeks old when the photograph and detaileddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, SecondEdition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significanceare used.

-   Botanical classification: Penstemon barbatus ‘Dopensprisprim’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Penstemon            barbatus identified as code number PE15-000019-005, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Penstemon            barbatus, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at            temperatures about 26° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at            temperatures about 23° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days            at temperatures about 23° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 20 days            at temperatures about 18° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically            white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on            substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and            formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of            roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown            as a container and garden plant; upright plant habit;            vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.        -   Plant height.—About 37 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 28 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity of lateral branches: Freely            branching habit, about 14 lateral branches develop per            plant. Length: About 36 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode            length: About 4.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to            about 30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Smooth,            glabrous; semi-glossy. Color, developing and developed:            Close to 144B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; decussate and sessile.        -   Length.—About 11 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Entire; occasionally slightly undulate.        -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,            glabrous; glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,            close to 138C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower shape, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single            bi-labiate flowers arranged on terminal racemes; flowers            face mostly outwardly; freely flowering with about 30            flowers developing per inflorescence and about 560 flowers            developing per plant during the flowering season.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; pleasant.        -   Time to flower.—Early flowering habit, plants begin to            flower about 14 weeks after planting.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants            flower for about eight to ten weeks during the summer in The            Netherlands; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.            Shape: Elongate ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;            semi-glossy. Color: Close to 62A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 21 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm.        -   Flower width (horizontal).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower length (vertical).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 3 cm.        -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1 cm.        -   Flower tube length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter.—About 1 cm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five, fused into a tube; bi-labiate,            upper lip with two upper petals and lower lip with three            lower petals. Lobe length, upper and lower lips: About 1 cm.            Lobe width, upper and lower lips: About 6 mm. Lobe shape:            Oblong. Lobe apex: Obtuse. Lobe margin: Entire; not            undulate. Lobe texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous; matte. Lobe texture and luster, lower surface:            Pubescent; matte. Throat, texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube,            texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Lobes, when opening, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 62A. Lobes, fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 62A; venation, close to 77A; color            becoming closer to 62C with subsequent development. Lobes,            fully opened, lower surface: Close to 62A; venation, close            to 62A; color becoming closer to 62C with subsequent            development. Flower throat: Close to 62A; venation, close to            77A. Flower tube: Close to 62A; venation, close to 62A.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused in a single whorl.            Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Rhomboidal.            Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: When            opening and fully developed, upper surface: Close to 143A.            When opening and fully developed, lower surface: Close to            143A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect:            About 5° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Close            to 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect:            Upright to about 25° from peduncle axis. Strength: Weak.            Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Close            to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.            Filament length: About 2.4 cm. Filament color: Close to            155D. Anther size: About 1 mm by 3 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.            Anther color: Close to 155D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 158C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.            Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Style length: About 1.9 cm.            Style color: Close to 77D. Stigma diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Stigma shape: Capitate. Stigma color: Close to 155A. Ovary            color: Close to 144B.        -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have            not been observed on plants of the new Penstemon.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Penstemon have been observed    to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from −25° C. to 35° C. and to be suitable for    USDA Hardiness Zone 5.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Penstemon    have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common    to Penstemon plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Penstemon plant named‘Dopensprisprim’ as illustrated and described.